Special Recording Systems, Ltd. Kyiv, 2009

Special Recording Systems, Ltd. Court Recording System

SRS Femida ˆ General Information Special Recording Systems, Ltd. was established in 1993 and since those times successfully operates in the IT market as an experienced developer and manufacturer of professional digital recording systems. The Court Recording System SRS Femida is our innovative solution, which is designed for Court/Hearing/Meeting Rooms. The Court Recording System SRS Femida exercises digital multi-channel audio and video recording and court reporting based on unified and extendable templates which provides trial transparency and automation of court reporting. Nowadays the Court Recording System SRS Femida is successfully used in the Supreme Courts, Courts of Appeals and District Courts of Armenia (World Bank Project), Georgia, Ghana, Kazakhstan (USAID project), Moldova (USAID project), the Russian Federation (Government Program), Ukraine (Government Program). The Court Recording System SRS Femida is one of the basic components in courtrooms equipping with up-to-date facilities of court procedures automation. The system considerably simplifies overall work of secretaries and allows to forget about pen and paper when composing reports of court proceedings. Special Recording Systems, Ltd. has installed more than 5000 computer-based digital recording systems in courts, governmental and financial institutions, public safety organizations, airports, power plants etc.

ˆ Key Features of Court Recording System SRS Femida Digital 2, 4, or 8-channel audio recording Digital video recording (optional) Creation of electronic court reports based on unified and extendable templates Instant playback and review with audio/video and text synchronized Saving and backup of data on hard drive, CD/DVD discs, network resources Windows 2000/XP/Vista compatible "Client – sever" architecture support Single window point-to-click user interface Disaster recovery option Integration with existent third party court case management systems Easy installation, training and operation Watchdog system

ˆ SRS Femida Advantages SRS Femida allows attaining "transparency" of court proceedings due audio and video recording. Complete legitimacy of all electronic documentation and records, their copies is provided by means of digital signature. SRS Femida is easy to use, which in turn substantially facilitates the process of preparation of court reports due to a special editor with application of unified and customizable templates of court proceedings. The special editor carries out complete fixation of all court proceedings in chronological consecution (event log) and simultaneous synchronization of these proceedings to corresponding audio and video segments of records. The synchronization of audio and video to text gives an instant access to the required court event. If needed a court secretary can create a verbatim transcript of the total trial or its fragment. While reading this verbatim transcript one can simply click on any word in the text and the playback of the corresponding passage of the record will be automatically launched. And this is an undeniable advantage of SRS Femida in comparison with analogous court recording systems. Easy point-to-click user interface and a special educational version of the program help secretaries at court proceedings master the work with the system within short periods. So basic PC skills are needed for use of SRS Femida, and no speed typing experience is required. Transcribing mode with foot pedal playback control function and speech speed variation without pitch affecting helps the court secretaries preparing court reports more comfortably and effectively. No additional downloads of media player is required to playback records. SRS Femida provides data protection from modifications and tampering both in the recordmode and in the storage-mode. SRS Femida has access controls to these data and stipulates the support of multi-user mode of user rights limitation. SRS Femida generates report document in RTF format without the necessity to install the additional text editor. SRS Femida provides complex voice signal enhancement – noise and interferences reduction is accomplished. SRS Femida uses standard removable media (CD/DVD) which in turn reduces the costs for courts. No special format for removable media required for duplicating and archiving all records. SRS Femida has stationary and portable configurations. The full-functional installation of the systems, their technical support and servicing are provided in any region due to the available dealers networks. The installation, maintenance of the equipment and special software will be carried out by highly qualified engineers, who will prepare the complex for work, accomplish its testing, train the personnel and perform the test court proceeding.

ˆ SRS Femida Software Benefits − Digital audio and video recording with automatic court report creation − Possibility of integration with the third party court case management system − Digital Signature − Templates Editor − Phonograms Visualization − Multi-channel sound processing (speech speed variation without pitch affecting, modes of multi-channel synchronous or separate channel playback, AGC, equalizer, noise cleanup)

ˆ SRS Femida Main Configurations The system SRS Femida can be fully equipped as in a stationary configuration, or as in a portable (notebook-based) configuration – either with only audio recording or with video and audio recording ability.

Stationary system

Portable system

ˆ SRS Femida Main Interface

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c – List of possible events of definite court proceedings. d – List of court participants of definite court proceedings.

In this list all possible court

participants are indicated.

e – Event log, a list of all recorded events linked to time. f – Annotations (notes, comments) edit field. In this area

you can edit annotations for

selected event in the event log.

g – Recording/playback control panel and channel status field. In this field there are different options including real-time clock, visualization of recording channels activity, seek bar, volume control, playback speed control, AGC, equalizer etc.

h – Video viewing window – possibility of real-time video viewing during recording session or video review at playback. User can resize or hide this window at any time.

ˆ How SRS Femida Works SRS Femida provides an opportunity of connection of up to 8 microphones. The audio recording can be made on 2, 4 or 8 separate channels depending on the model. The video recording is conducted by four video cameras. After the record mode is turned on, the court proceeding multi-channel audio and video recording starts. The secretary marks the name of the participant and each event which takes place during this court proceeding selecting the event label from the corresponding court proceeding template in the event log, which will be the basis for the court report. SRS Femida allows a secretary to carry out audio and video court recording and real-time creation of brief court report with indication of participants and events of the court proceeding in the chronological consecution. SRS Femida simplifies court reporting thanks to unified and expendable templates of court proceedings. During the court proceeding the secretary can add brief notes (annotations) to selected events and each event is tagged to definite recorded audio/video segment. The court report is generated on the basis of the formed event log and indicates mandatory data in accordance with the active legislation, i.e. a number and name of a case, a serial number of CD on which the records were saved, date, participants of the court proceeding, events in the chronological consecution. In the postponed mode the court report can be extended or the annotations can be transcribed with the help of the special editor which provides instant access to any event. When the court proceeding is transcribed, the audio/video records are synchronized with the words in the transcribed text. It becomes easier and more comfortable for judges, prosecutors, defense attorneys and other court clerks to learn the court report as instant access to selected fragment is provided. Court reports can be signed by digital signature by relevant authorized persons to provide verification of data integrity. SRS Femida excludes the opportunity of unauthorized access and tampering with fixed information. Recorded court proceeding is saved in an electronic form on a hard drive, CD/DVD or network resource and can be played back on any multimedia computer without special software installation. Court proceedings can be duplicated and archived on standard media (CD/DVD) with application of Windows built in CD-RW recording feature. Court Report

Participants

Events

Notes Court Report

Audio

Video

ˆ Court "Turn-key" Complex Equipping 1

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Courtroom complex equipping components: 1 – Subsystem of calling a witness to a courtroom; 2 – Video conferencing system; 3 – Defendants; 4 – Witnesses; 5 – Defense lawyers; 6 – Judge; 7 – Secretary; 8 – Jury; 9 – Public address subsystem loudspeakers; 10 – Information panel; 11 – Audience; 12 – Prosecutors; 13 – "Secret" room for witness protection; 14 – SRS Anonymity System; 15 – Server room.

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ˆ SRS Anonymity System SRS Anonymity System is a technical basis for conduction of witness protection in a courtroom excluding witnesses' voice recognizability at state of the evidence and can be integrated in the Court Recording System SRS Femida. During a court proceeding a witness is in a separate room, where the video and audio from the courtroom are broadcasted. In turn, in the courtroom the modified voice of the witness is broadcasted.

Courtroom Video cameras

Acoustic system

Video multiplexer

Mixer

Acoustic feedback suppressor

Power amplifier

"Secret" room

Video monitor

Microphone

Headphones

Voice change device SRS Voice Changer

Scheme of connection of the components of SRS Anonymity System System components, located in a "secret" room: − Voice change device SRS Voice Changer; − Control panel, which can be constructively joined with the voice change device; − Microphone for witness. Directional microphone is usually applied; − Video monitor (or TV set with composite video input); − Headphones.

System components, located in a courtroom: − Video cameras and video multiplexer of the Court Video Recording System SRS Femida; − Courtroom public address system or separate loud-speakers for broadcasting witnesses' changed voice; − Audio processor (automatic acoustic feedback suppressor), which eliminates acoustic feedback (strange noises and whistle) in the public address system. Audio and video signals from the courtroom public address system and Court Video Recording System SRS Femida are broadcasted to audio and video monitors, which are in the "secret" room. Audio signal from the output of the voice change device SRS Voice Changer comes to the mixer input in the courtroom and then comes to the audio recording system and the public address system.

ˆ SRS Voice Changer Witnesses' voice change device SRS Voice Changer can be integrated in SRS Anonymity System, using the sound from the microphones or is completed with the corresponding additional (optional) equipment. With the purpose of performance of easier and more comfortable work, and for prevention of accidental turn-off of the function of the voice changer of the witness during the court proceeding, there is no mode of distortionless voice broadcasting in the system. SRS Voice Changer components: Hardware device of voice changing of the witness in the real-time mode SRS Voice Changer; Control panel for broadcasting mode control; Witnesses' microphone. The developers of SRS Voice Changer gave special attention to speech intelligibility after the changes. After modifications the speech intelligibility is not lost and does not change. The hardware system of speech distortion operates in real-time mode – the distortion mode is based on the vocoder technology and executes the following operations: Accomplishes phonemic segmentation of speech signal; Divides the signal into required number of spectral bands; Applies the phonemic analysis to spectral bands. After receiving phonemic identifiers the timbre voice analysis is performed, due to which the speech signal is classified in accordance with the objective voice characteristics, e.g.: Female/male; Gruff/gentle; Harsh/tender etc. Then the reducing of the timbre components of the initial signal is accomplished to predefined type or on the basis of a random function. So only the timbre and sound-pitch elements of the speech signal undergo modifications, semantic component remains unchanged. The additional "monotone" effect (also called "robot") allows eliminating the prosodic characteristic of the witness that makes the protected witnesses' voice fully unrecognizable. The timbre and sound-pitch attributes, obtained as a result of the speech signal processing (distortion) will depend not on the characteristics of the initial signal, but on a random function and/or predefined speech pattern. In this case no noises and impulse interferences attach to the signal as it happens in analogous software implementations. This enables improving speech intelligibility.

ˆ SRS Femida Subsystems Courtroom public address subsystem The public address subsystem is an essential and important element of equipping modern big courtrooms which allows organizing a comfortable court functioning in whole. The main task of such subsystem is amplifying and translating of signal audio sources (microphone, audio recorder, video recorder) used during the court proceeding. Based on the importance of the intervening events the courtroom public address subsystem should meet specific requirements to the applied hardware for provision of quality, reliability and conformance. The main requirement to the subsystem is a loud, intelligible and distortionless audio signal playback. Subsystem structure: Acoustic systems in a courtroom; Power amplifier; Audio processor (automatic acoustic feedback suppressor); Control module (optional); Cable system. The subsystem can be integrated with the Court Recording System SRS Femida, and also is included in the equipment configuration for video conferencing.

Subsystem of calling a witness to a courtroom The subsystem simplifies a secretary's work and is designed for providing a call of witnesses in a courtroom. Subsystem structure: Microphone board with the call-button on a secretary's working place; Acoustic systems in a court building; Power amplifier; Cable system.

Special Rec ording Systems, Ltd. Address: 5/316A Solomenska St., Kyiv 03110, Ukraine Tel / Fax: +380 44 248-7990 (Ukraine, GMT+02:00) +380 44 248-7991 (Ukraine, GMT+02:00) +7 495 540-3125 (Russia, GMT+03:00) +1 443 829-3125 (USA, Maryland, GMT-05:00) +1 646 827-4581 (USA, GMT+02:00) E-mail: [email protected] Web-site: www.courtrecording.com.ua www.courtrecording.org www.srs.kiev.ua

(C) & (P) 2009, SRS, Ltd.